By the time they'd checked in at the tenth checkpoint, the sun was already setting.
Of the two who'd gone with him, Kito was doing all right, breathing only a little heavily. Kamuro, on the other hand, was so out of breath she could barely catch it.
Amasawa Yuto was the only one who looked completely unbothered, busy observing the layout of the trees in the forest.
"What, what kind of monster are you...?" Kamuro bent over with her hands on her knees, gasping for breath.
"You kept up the whole way. Thanks for your effort, Kamuro. You did great." Amasawa Yuto praised her sincerely.
"I'm not going to be happy just because you complimented me." Kamuro frowned.
"I'll put in a good word for you with Sakayanagi later."
"You! What do you take me for?" Kamuro snapped, reaching for Amasawa Yuto's collar.
But she was so exhausted that she not only missed him, her foot even slipped, and she was about to fall. "Yaaah—"
Amasawa Yuto sighed, grabbed her shoulder, and pulled Masumi Kamuro beside him, letting her lean against him until she regained her balance.
"You just made a very girly sound."
"...Let go, or I'll kill you." As soon as she regained her balance, Kamuro stepped away from Amasawa Yuto, as if nothing had happened.
Kito stood off to the side, silently watching the two of them. He was usually the quiet, taciturn type.
"We should head back, Amasawa, Kamuro. Don't miss the evening roll call." Kito Hayato spoke in a gloomy voice that suited his fearsome appearance.
By the time Amasawa Yuto returned with Kamuro and Kito, the other students had already come back, too.
Several enormous banana leaves hung over the entrance, blocking the view inside. But once they entered the cave, it opened